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Authors: A Most Devilish Rogue
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face whoever it was, she stared at the broad expanse of pebbles that stretched from the cliff face to the waves lapping at the shore. So deceptively gentle today, so calm. Even the pristine shoreline mocked her in the perfection of its smoothness. Not a single hint of a footprint marred the surface.
Not a footprint?
She clenched her fists. Blast it all, if the boy wasn’t here, where on earth had he gone? She turned, and the source of the shouts became clear. Jack and Mr. Upperton picked their way down the slope.
“Jack!” She raced up the path toward her son. The heart-pounding sensation of panic turned hot. “Where on earth have you been?”
He’d begun to trot in her direction but stopped short, his smile fading. His brow puckered in uncertainty. She was so rarely harsh with him. Biggles claimed she wasn’t stern enough. She knew she ought to be, but every time she strove to be firmer, part of her wondered if she wasn’t being overly hard on the lad.
She hadn’t wanted him, after all. Hadn’t wanted any of this.
“Did you come looking for me here?” Jack asked.
“I couldn’t find you anywhere.” Her voice quavered at the memory of the hollowness in her gut when she realized he was gone. “Don’t you ever, ever run off like that again.”
“You’d best listen to your mother.” Mr. Upperton pronounced the words with a quiet authority. “You don’t want to give her another fright.”
Jack hung his head and drew a line in the ground with one toe. “Yes, sir.”
Isabelle forced herself to look Mr. Upperton in the eye. A mistake, that. The laugh lines fanning across his temples had smoothed to seriousness, leaving only shallow furrows to mark their presence. Laughing and good-natured, she’d thought him handsome. Sober and stern, he was devastating. Her mouth went dry, and her lips parted of their own accord.
Dash it all, she couldn’t allow herself to react this way. If only she’d shown a bit more self-restraint during her first season, she wouldn’t be in this situation. She couldn’t afford to succumb yet again to a man’s charm, no matter how overwhelming.
“Where did you find him?”
Upperton ran a hand along the back of his neck. A grin pulled at one corner of his mouth. “He was up a tree, actually.”
“Up a tree?” The only significant trees close to the village lay on the Revelstoke estate. “What on earth were you doing at the manor?”
Jack looked her in the eye, his gaze guileless. “You said I couldn’t go to the beach. You never said I couldn’t climb trees.”
“You are to stay where I can watch you. You’ve no business on the property of your betters.” Their betters. Yes, the Revelstokes were their betters. Now. At one time, she’d have been their equal. At one time, she might have been invited to the house for tea. She might have met Mr. Upperton under legitimate circumstances. He might have asked her to dance. How she missed that simple pleasure.
Jack stuck out his lower lip. “Bugger!”
She let out a gasp before turning narrowed eyes on Upperton. “And where has he learned such language?”
Upperton had the grace to look away. A flush crept upthe back of his neck, just visible where the breeze stirred his hair. “You oughtn’t repeat words you don’t understand,” he muttered.
Jack raised his chin. “I asked you what it meant. You wouldn’t tell me.”
“As well I shouldn’t. Such isn’t meant for young ears.” He glanced at Isabelle. “In my defense, I didn’t realize he could hear me. A horse unseated me, you see, and I thought myself quite alone. Jack here was hiding up a tree.”
“Jack.” Isabelle leaned down until her gaze was on a level with her son’s. Dark brown eyes, so like her own, blinked back at her. “You are not to repeat such words. Do you understand me? As a matter of fact, I think it best if we stay clear of those who speak that way altogether.”
“But Mama—”
“He’s a busy man, I’m sure. He’s
Not a footprint?
She clenched her fists. Blast it all, if the boy wasn’t here, where on earth had he gone? She turned, and the source of the shouts became clear. Jack and Mr. Upperton picked their way down the slope.
“Jack!” She raced up the path toward her son. The heart-pounding sensation of panic turned hot. “Where on earth have you been?”
He’d begun to trot in her direction but stopped short, his smile fading. His brow puckered in uncertainty. She was so rarely harsh with him. Biggles claimed she wasn’t stern enough. She knew she ought to be, but every time she strove to be firmer, part of her wondered if she wasn’t being overly hard on the lad.
She hadn’t wanted him, after all. Hadn’t wanted any of this.
“Did you come looking for me here?” Jack asked.
“I couldn’t find you anywhere.” Her voice quavered at the memory of the hollowness in her gut when she realized he was gone. “Don’t you ever, ever run off like that again.”
“You’d best listen to your mother.” Mr. Upperton pronounced the words with a quiet authority. “You don’t want to give her another fright.”
Jack hung his head and drew a line in the ground with one toe. “Yes, sir.”
Isabelle forced herself to look Mr. Upperton in the eye. A mistake, that. The laugh lines fanning across his temples had smoothed to seriousness, leaving only shallow furrows to mark their presence. Laughing and good-natured, she’d thought him handsome. Sober and stern, he was devastating. Her mouth went dry, and her lips parted of their own accord.
Dash it all, she couldn’t allow herself to react this way. If only she’d shown a bit more self-restraint during her first season, she wouldn’t be in this situation. She couldn’t afford to succumb yet again to a man’s charm, no matter how overwhelming.
“Where did you find him?”
Upperton ran a hand along the back of his neck. A grin pulled at one corner of his mouth. “He was up a tree, actually.”
“Up a tree?” The only significant trees close to the village lay on the Revelstoke estate. “What on earth were you doing at the manor?”
Jack looked her in the eye, his gaze guileless. “You said I couldn’t go to the beach. You never said I couldn’t climb trees.”
“You are to stay where I can watch you. You’ve no business on the property of your betters.” Their betters. Yes, the Revelstokes were their betters. Now. At one time, she’d have been their equal. At one time, she might have been invited to the house for tea. She might have met Mr. Upperton under legitimate circumstances. He might have asked her to dance. How she missed that simple pleasure.
Jack stuck out his lower lip. “Bugger!”
She let out a gasp before turning narrowed eyes on Upperton. “And where has he learned such language?”
Upperton had the grace to look away. A flush crept upthe back of his neck, just visible where the breeze stirred his hair. “You oughtn’t repeat words you don’t understand,” he muttered.
Jack raised his chin. “I asked you what it meant. You wouldn’t tell me.”
“As well I shouldn’t. Such isn’t meant for young ears.” He glanced at Isabelle. “In my defense, I didn’t realize he could hear me. A horse unseated me, you see, and I thought myself quite alone. Jack here was hiding up a tree.”
“Jack.” Isabelle leaned down until her gaze was on a level with her son’s. Dark brown eyes, so like her own, blinked back at her. “You are not to repeat such words. Do you understand me? As a matter of fact, I think it best if we stay clear of those who speak that way altogether.”
“But Mama—”
“He’s a busy man, I’m sure. He’s
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